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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I leave for San Francisco for the BlogHer conference Thursday morning so technically, I should be in "freak-out" mode. I'm not there yet. I'm starting to get stuff done though. I got my hair done today. She covered the gray highlighted it. Whenever I get my hair dyed highlighted, my scalp itches like mad. Does this happen to anyone else? I look like I have serious dandruff issues as I claw my poor head like crazy for hours after getting my hair colored. Still, bloody scratches down my skull are better than gray unhighlighted hair.

I also got it cut. Until last summer, I've always had long hair as an adult. I think the reason I've kept my hair long is because I was traumatized as a kid. I spent my youth looking like a boy. Seriously, I have pictures of myself looking like this.I don't know why, but my mom always insisted I have my hair cut short. Darn that Dorothy Hamill and her stupid haircut!

So I got brave and cut it short last summer. Well it was short for me anyway. Today I asked my hairdresser, who also happens to be a really good friend of mine, if she'd cut the back of my hair really short, but keep the front long.My friend, Gin, said, "I cut it like that last month.""No, I want it even shorter in back. I want to be able to kinda fluff it up in back if I want.""You want it like John and Kate plus 8?""I have no clue what her hair looks like," I said. Then I pointed to a picture of a supermodel in her hair magazine and told her, "Make me look like that."She looked at me like I was stupid and said something along the lines of, "Are you serious?! Her hair is MUCH shorter than yours. I can cut it short like that, but it won't be long in front then.""I don't want you to touch the front. Just make the back short," I insisted."So basically you want 2 different haircuts?" she asked."Is there something wrong with that?"At this point, she shook her head and told me she'd cut it the way I wanted, but I had to promise to tell everyone that I'd cut it myself.Actually, she didn't cut the back as short as I wanted it so it ended up looking fine.

What we women go through to look prettiful. Like waxing. What sicko ever decided that smearing hot wax on sensitive body parts then ripping it off, was a good idea? Who proclaimed that smooth was good and Brillo pad hairy was bad?

And pedicures. I do love me a good pedicure, but I can't afford them very often and who has the time to just sit there and do nothing but relax? So, I got a PedEgg. Have you guys seen these? My kids told me I needed one after they saw a commercial for it on tv. So what - my heels have skin thicker than an elephant's. Does that really mean I need one? I got this PedEgg thing back when Mimi, Michelle and I saw Oprah. I've been using it since and I've got to say that I love this thing! You rub it on your heels and then open it up and dump out the contents of your dead heel skin which looks curiously like grated Parmesan cheese. Mmmm.

And I haven't started packing yet because I have no idea what to wear. Men don't do this. They pack whatever they find on the floor that passes the sniff test. Done. Why do we women agonize over what we'll wear? I think if I bring a steamer trunk, I can pack my entire closet. That way, I can try on 12 things every day that I'm in California and I won't have to decide what to pack.

Tomorrow I go to the dentist to get 2 teeth fixed. You know, because I'm old and thanks to 6 pregnancies, my teeth are falling out of my head. Pretty soon I'm going to look like I'm from Peoria. (Kidding. JUST KIDDING!) Because I just made fun of Peoria, my cheeks are going to swell up after my appointment and I'll look like a Puffer Fish at the BlogHer conference.

Me, me, me! I'm going. Not to the whole conference, but I'll around on Thursday to meet and greet some of the illustrious bloggers (like you). Your haircut looks great btw (and you wouldn't have been happy with Jon and Kate hair).

I had to laugh at your pre-BlogHer checklist; it's a lot like mine. I'll be "highlighting my hair" tonight. The PedEgg is on standby until I settle the debate about open/vs closed shoes to go with my chosen outfit (am I the only one who peppers grated heel all over even though it's supposed to hold it until you dump it?). If I opt for open, there's PegEgging, then trimming and polishing, etc. If I opt for closed I can skip all those things for the moment. I need to finalize jewelry and accessory choices (which might necessitate a shopping trip). And I swear, it's purely coincidental that my outfit coordinates with my blog which coordinates with my business cards!

Have a good dentist trip. If you work it right, maybe you could get gassed up enough to sleep (or laugh) through your flight to CA.

Yea! I can't wait to meet you at BlogHer! Have you been before, or will you be at the Newbie reception? I, too, will be hauling my steamer trunk from the Midwest to SF. After all, one never knows what weather the Bay breeze might carry in, so one must have options! ;-)

I'm hoping to launch my new personal blog prior to the conference. Hence, the late night comment on your site. Many a late night lately. Too many...sigh.

I've been thinking about getting a PedEgg too, but everyone in my house thinks its so totally gross that I've been reluctant. Maybe I'll just do it anyway and not tell them. ;) Are your heels smoother now that you've been using it?

Did you know The Body Shop does home foot spa parties??(called The Body Shop At Home).. they bring the foot tubs and their peppermint products to your home for you and your friends to pamper yourselves with. And then,when you host a party, you can get all those products for free...

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that for your itchy scalp (I colour and perm, so my scalp hates me sometimes) when I was getting my last perm, my hairdresser used a Redken product that was just brilliant! I "think" its called Redken Scalp Relief. It's only new out (well here in Australia that is), but I can recommend it to you for itchy post treated hair. I'm not 100% sure of the name of the product as I've only used it once so had to google it.

I think your hair turned out great! Good for you for taking some time for yourself. I'm not going to BlogHer...partly because I'm not sure what exactly that is...but you're so excited about it it must be fun!! Have a good time. I'm sure we'll hear all about it while you're there/when you return. YEAH!!! Make it complete with pics! = )

My mom has the same problem when she gets her hair "highlighted". The hairdresser puts 1 packet of Sweet and Low in the mix and apparently it works! Helps stop any burning/tingling sensation or from itching!

That's the Katie Holmes/Posh Spice haircut! I must say it looks darling. Have a great time at the dentist today, Novocaine is a wonderful thing, I always ask for extra. I know the importance of this too, having had lots of dental work in the past year!

I have the PediEg. Actually my Dear husband used it and now I can't find it. Not sure I want to use it after him anyways....I might get a new one. His toes are crooked and I don't want my feet to cath that. :)

I always had short hair as a child and was often called a boy. I had that dreadful Dorothy Hamill haircut as well. I am still traumatized to this day and keep my hair long. I also keep my girls' hair long and show them pictures of me at their age and tell them "don't ever let me do this to you!" Have a great time at BlogHer. Wish I could go!

Chances are good that the reason your head itches like mad after a highlight is that you're sensitive to the peroxide levels in your color.

I'm very allergic to peroxide and my skin itches, turns red and feverish and peels when exposed to peroxide of any kind (it's just fantastic!).

Did you also notice your scalp heating up while the color was processing? That might be another indicator of peroxide sensitivity. I ended up having to ask my colorist to be very careful to keep the dye off my scalp (lest it burst into flames and flake off). Unfortunately, I like having non-gray hair myself so I generally just grit my teeth and bear it til it's done.

Love the hair cut, super cute! I am surprised you don't know Jon and Kate plus 8??? I thought every mom new about that family! I live near S.F. And weather is HOT some days, but average for S.F. is about 70, and cools way down at night, so don't forget a jacket! Have fun

I love my PedEgg! I have to admit it sounded too good to be true, and some of my "parmesean cheese" does come out onto the floor as I'm using it, but it far exceeds any other home foot fixer that I've bought in the past. Combine it with Sally Hanson's foot sugar scrub, and you've saved yourself a trip to the salon...which I admit I haven't seen the inside of since I was pregnant with my first child. I so hear you on the having no time to sit there and do nothing!

That is EXACTLY the haircut I have right now! I'm loving it. My earrings peek out between the short part and the long front. I do find it hard to stop tucking it behind my ears though. Much sexier when swinging across the face!

I can TOTALLY relate to the short hair trauma as a child. My grandmother insisted that I keep my hair short. Once I was "old enough" to care for it myself (around 7th grade in her opinion) I started to let it grow. I've been growing it ever since. I do go in every two years and have 12inches cut off and donated to Locks of Love, but it is NEVER cut above my shoulders. Maybe someday I'll decide short hair isn't bad.. but I'm not over the trauma of my childhood... yet.

My stylist freaked out when I went in asking for a stacked hair cut. I wanted it super short. She kept saying..You're husband is going to come in and kill me! LOL...It went from this:http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p346/katrinagibson13/thPK-1.jpgto this:http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p346/katrinagibson13/100_0370.jpg

I'm growing it back out now, but it was a shock to everyone! LOL....I recently had back surgery and cannot bend, twist or lift anything for at least 6 weeks. Before I went in, I had a pedicure, Naired the crap out of everything I could Nair and waxed my eyebrows. The nurses thought it was hilarious. I couldn't believe it. Wouldn't every woman do that if they knew they wouldn't be able to shave for 6 weeks? I would have waxed but honestly, there isn't any salon around here that does it. I made my hubby lather me up in Nair and I used a loofah on a stick I got at Wal-Mart to scrub it off....lol. Hey! I can't BEND! Sometimes it sucks being a girl.

Ha Ha! I totally feel your pain. When I was little my mom says I fought her too much on getting my hair done so she cut it all off. Remember that pixie haircut with fringe swept forward on the face from the 80's? Yep, that was me, splotchy faced and crying over my "werewolf haircut".

Regarding the itching after coloring, its caused from the chemicals, I've started using natural haircolors (from Whole Foods etc) to "highlight" (cover my grey). It works really well and no more itching. You can do them yourself or take to your hairdresser and have her use in place of the nasty chemical stuff.

My husband takes a 3 day business trip with a briefcase. Seriously. He packs his laptop in part of it, tosses in some shirts, undies, and socks and he's gone. Makes me crazy! I couldn't take a 3-day business trip with only one pair of SHOES, much less, ONE tiny little briefcase!

I LOVE your hair! I am not sure why your friend/hair stylist seemed to think it was so odd. That is called an inverted bob and is VERY popular these days. I would give anything to have my hair like that, but my hair is a thick frizzy disaster and can't do that.

http://muddledponderings.blogspot.com/2008_03_09_archive.html

My daughter just got it done that way last month and it is DARLING. So easy to care for too!

I love your hair. I have to say in the first photo it was a bit short and dare I say you had a bit of a 5 o'clock shadow? : ) I have a pedegg. I love it. I did use it a little too much on the ball of my foot and made it bleed. Then I got a wart in that exact spot which I must have picked up in the Y locker room. Just goes to show exercise is dangerous.

Try Act by Nature haircolor. It's natural and contains nothing that you'll react to. And, best of all, it works. If you like your hair lighter than darker, stick with the dirty blonde shade and if you prefer dark brown, then try the light golden brown. Their website is www.actbynature.com. It's the only stuff I'll ever use.

Where does one get this pediegg?? It sounds fabulous! And I love, love, love the haircut!! I will have the same basic concept but much shorter when I go in for my pre-school day do in a couple weeks! I can't have my students seeing my gray on the first day! Gotta save that for second semester! :)

I LOVE the haircut! I wish mine would do that, but even as a mom to only one, I can't seem to find the time to blow it dry (ie straight) every time I wash it. And without straightening it, then I look like a reject out of the 80's (think Molly Ringwald only brunette and 50lbs heavier).

So, for all of us out there who do not know, can you please tell us ignorant people just what BlogHer is? I've seen you mention it a lot, but I have no clue exactly what the convention is for?

And I'm glad that someone posted that Mark Twain Quote. I've visited SF many many times and I've been out in a t-shirt in February, and frozen in a sweatshirt in August. So, my advice, take the trunk. But seriously, it should be nice, unless it rains, and goodness knows we need some rain out here in the West, or unless it's foggy. So take a jacket, etc

Did you know you can now get PedEggs at TARGET? I ordered mine online around Christmas time, but now they have them for only $10 (and NO SHIPPING) in Target. Just ask someone who looks like she's worked there for more than a week for the "As Seen On TV" gadget section (in one of the Targets I frequent--yes I have more than one, lucky me--it's near the plastic kid dishes on an endcap). I may be buying a new one soon, as I use the one I ordered so often that I don't think the razors work as well anymore...

stacked in the back and a-line, that is what you wanted. It's not unheard of. For a super duper meal in SF while you are sans-kids...try my niece's workplaces...she is a server at Town Hall 342 Howard Street(white tablecloth, business casual)

and/or Salt House 2 Shaw Aly(a little more formal) where she is a hostess. www.townhallsf.comwww.salthousesf.com

Coming from a cosmetologist the reason why your scalp itches is because your have an allergic reaction to the developer that is included in the hair color. Basically the developer helps lift your natural hair color out and deposits the color of your choice in. The ranges of "volume" of developer do range from 10 all the way up to 40 and 50.. what this means is the higher the number the more your natural color (gray) is taken out and more color deposited in. Basically the higher the number the greater risk of allergic reaction you will have. If you got highlights she should keep it off the scalp that would decrease the most amount of risk to itching. As for the color is she puts a toner over it... you may ask her to try another lower volume due to the sensitivity.

I say this but, like you I itch and just suck it up and taken it for the vain of beauty's sake :) If your having severe reactions though I wouldnt recommend it :P

As for the PedEgg.. I love mine too! Reminds me of a cheese grater and made my mom try it first before I would use it. I wanted to see if it would shave live skin off first LOL. What mothers still do for you even when your in your 30's.

I never realized how many people watch General Hospital since that cut looks a lot like Cate Howard's. Looks good though. Thanks for the feed back on the Ped egg. I was thinking of getting one but was not sure. Now It sounds like a good investment, even though it's only about $10.

P.S. Forgot to mention. I have vowed not to cut my hair until I lose 30 lbs. It's already near the bra line on my back so either I will live to regret this decision or Locks Of lOve will get one heck of a donation (they are the reason I started to grow it out before I decided on my quest).

I am cracking up at your post! I think your head is itching because you are probably allergic to the dye. Itching is better than gray anyday, so carry a back scratcher with you at all times to use on your head! I had a pedicure today and it was awesome. Why did I wait until my 40's to start getting those? I see teenagers getting them, and I don't think that is fair! They should have to wait until they are 40!

Dawn, I love your new style! You look so trendy. I'm in the SF Bay Area and have to warn you that SF summers aren't what the rest of the country experiences. Definitely plan on bringing warm clothes (i.e., sweatshirt, pants), as well as some lighter clothes. Summers in the city tend to be in the 60's, unless of course we get a heat wave like we recently experienced. Now if you happen to be outside of SF, like across the bay either way, you can expect much warmer weather. It can be in the 60's in the city, but easily in the 80's just a 1/2 hour away. Oh, and definitely eat sourdough bread and clam chowder soup (think Fisherman's Wharf). We have the best sourdough bread! Enjoy your trip to the Left Coast!

Laura

P.S. Don't call CA "Frisco." You will definitely sound like a tourist.

Yes, my scalp itches like I've got a bad case of lice after I get mine highlighted!! Glad to know I'm not the only one. Grrrr I hate that. I love the way it looks, but the itching? Not so much.

And the Ped Egg ROCKS!! I always have these thick, cracked, ugly heels in the summer because I always wear sandals or flip flops and I despaired of ever having nice, smooth heels. I'd have go to to get a pedicure every week to keep them nice, and I just cannot afford that. I was skeptical, but I was also desperate, so I bought one, and voila! Smooth heels. Just be aware that you should buy some of the extra "blades" because they do dull quickly. Or at least mine did, but I had REALLY bad heels. And I found I have to scrape them every other day to keep them smooth. And you're right, the shavings DO look like parmesan cheese! I've never cared for parmesan cheese much, but now? I doubt I'll ever be able to have it again! LOL

Enjoy San Francisco, and it does get cool in SF in the summer. Lots of fog, especially in the mornings.

But by the time you get this you'll already be there, so nevermind. LOL

I actually love your haircut .. mine is cut like this except my back is much shorter. My hair is so thick it wouldnt do the bouffount (sp) thing if i left it longer. my problem is i still tend to tuck it behind my ears making me look like i am a boy yet again! UGG habits are hard to kill.

Dawn! So glad you mentioned your scalp itches after you have it dyed, because that happens to me too! I have to use Head & Shoulders (so embarrassing)for a few weeks until I have no dry scalp left. My mom doesn't believe me and thinks I am psycho :)